The Force Has Been Awakened! My (Spoiler-Free) Star Wars Episode VII Review

A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...

A young film student at USC had a dream. A dream to make an adaptation of the Flash Gordon serials of his youth. After he graduated from USC he directed two movies. One that was not a success (THX-1138), and one that was a huge success (American Graffiti). Even though he directed a big hit, he couldn't get the rights to Flash Gordon. So instead of adapting Flash Gordon, the student decided to write his own space fantasy that paid homage to Flash Gordon. But little did this student and the rest of the world know that this space fantasy would not only be the perfect homage to Flash Gordon, not only would it surpass it, not only would it start a long running, record breaking franchise, but it would change the face of cinema, and our entire culture forever.

The student's name was George Lucas. And his space fantasy was Star Wars.

Just like Luke, Han, Leia, and the Rebels overcame impossible odds to destroy the Death Star, Star Wars overcame behind-the-scenes problems and lack of confidence from 20th Century Fox, to become the highest grossing film of all time for a few years (and unadjusted for inflation, it is still the 2nd highest grossing film behind Gone With The Wind).

Star Wars was so popular, it led to two sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that set new grounds for sequels in general, and made Star Wars into more than just a movie, but a mythology.

After Return of the Jedi, the Star Wars Saga went on hiatus for fourteen years. Then in 1999, George Lucas decided to go back to the beginning. Way back. Lucas decided to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Republic, how Anakin Skywalker started as a Jedi Knight and became Darth Vader, and how Luke and Leia were born. This story was told in three Prequels: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. Even though they were box office juggernauts, fans of the Original Trilogy were overall disappointed in them. They found the overuse of CGI unnecessary, the acting wooden, the dialogue cheesy, and Jar Jar Binks... well. But some fans who grew up with them find much to enjoy about them, even in spite of their flaws.

For ten years, the franchise went on another hiatus, with The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network to fill the void. George Lucas had kept insisting that he was done with Star Wars, and that he told the story he wanted to tell. For a while, it really seemed like the Saga was truly over. But that did't stop fans from holding out hope. Their faith was soon rewarded.

In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion, and announced they would be making more Star Wars movies starting with Episode VII in 2015. It was later announced that Episode VII would be directed by J.J. Abrams, the man responsible for breathing new life into Star Wars' (friendly) competitor, Star Trek. Like every filmmaker of his generation, JJ Abrams became inspired by Star Wars to pick up a Super 8 camera and start making movies in his backyard. Him directing the next installment of the Star Wars Saga felt like the circle was now complete.

The next three years felt like an eternity for fans. Years of speculation, years of anticipation, years of excitement, years of questions.

Does Luke Skywalker turn to the Dark Side? Who is the villain? Which OG character will die? Will Jar Jar Binks make a cameo?

In 2014, there was an 88 second teaser with narration from Andy Serkis and images form the new movie that included John Boyega as a Stormtrooper, a cute ball droid named BB-8 rolling around, a mysterious villain with a red cross-guard lightsaber, and the Millennium Falcon flying with the classic Star Wars theme by John Williams.

Then in April 2015, a longer teaser was released at Star Wars Celebration. This one featured a voice over from Luke Skywalker giving the same speech he gave to his sister Leia in Return of the Jedi. And it ended with possibly the greatest reveal in the history of trailers. Han Solo and Chewbacca. "Chewy, we're home!" "Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh!"

Then in October, tickets went on sale on Fandango.com and the internet blew up like the Death Stars. Everyone who was anyone, from die-hard fans to casual fans, HAD to see this movie! Even if the movie itself was a dud, the hype for it would go down in history.

Yesterday, I went to AMC at the Block in Orange, California with a life-long friend of mine. We got there at 10:30 A.M. and passed the time by watching The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on my Mom's iPad.

Our love of Star Wars goes way back. Back in Middle School, we used to have hour long discussions about the movies and The Clone Wars. I myself remember watching the Original Star Wars on VHS when I was 4 years old. I was 10 years old when Revenge of the Sith came out. I saw i there times, and dressed up as Darth Vader every time! I would watch all six movies with my family every Spring Break from Episode I to Episode VI. You can pretty much say Star Wars is like a second language to me.

We finally got in our seats at 5:00ish. Ten years of questions, ten years of speculation, ten years of dreams would finally be revealed in less than two hours.

"More Butter, I require! Hmm?"

7:00. My parents were waiting in line to get snacks for me, my sister, and friends. I hoped and prayed they would make it at least before the opening crawl. Luckily, they made it just in time.

The theater was full of three generations. Those who saw the Original Trilogy when they came out. Those who grew up with the Prequels. And little kids who are getting into Star Wars for the first time. And when the Lucasfilm logo appeared, followed by the famous words "A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...", everyone, and I mean EVERYONE screamed in excitement. I had to tell myself countless times "I am seeing Star Wars Episode VII." I just couldn't believe it. I thought I would never live to see it. In the famous words of Darth Vader, right before the Death Star blew up, "This would be a day long remembered..."

After the movie ended, I felt an overwhelming sensation of different emotions. But the overall emotion I had was Joy.

As a life-long fan, this movie lived up to my expectations! It had everything we love about Star Wars. Humor, action, adventure, and heart.

I won't say anything about the plot, because the less you know about it the better. I will say though that it is very similar to the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. Almost beat-for-beat. Even before the movie came out, there were worries it would try to rehash A New Hope. In some ways, it is kind of a retelling of A New Hope. But there are enough twists and turns to make it stand on its own. And when you think about it, A New Hope was a retelling of Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. (Heck, in one part, Admiral Motti says "Rebel's Hidden For-" before Vader chokes him). Just because a movie is similar to another movie doesn't make it less good. It shows that art imitates art, and that all ideas come from somewhere. As George Lucas would say "It's like poetry. It rhymes."

The new characters were wonderful. John Boyega plays Finn, who was raised to serve the First Order, but now begins to question if he's doing the right thing. Oscar Isaac is quite likable as Poe Dameron, and even has some of the Han Solo charm. But the stand out in my eyes was Daisy Ridley as Rey.

Rey is a scavenger on the planet Jakku who survives by finding old parts from old spaceships and selling them for money. She has never been away from her planet before, but has heard stories of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and the Rebellion. She has dreams of getting off her desert planet and going on an adventure. If that sounds familiar, it should. Rey could easily be seen as the Luke Skywalker of this trilogy. For fans who felt like Princess Leia could have done more in the Original Trilogy besides being a Princess, they will be more than pleased to see that Rey takes center stage. She is at the heart of the movie, and I look forward to having more adventures with her soon.

Another stand-out was the villain Kylo-Ren, played by Adam Driver.

Kylo-Ren is not your typical Star Wars baddie. He is menacing, intimidating, and yet has a complexity to him. Just like how Darth Vader before him had moments of conflict with his morality, so does Kylo-Ren. You can feel the torment he goes through. He's a villain you almost sympathize with, but just like Darth Vader, you will love to hate him.

The new character that stole the show, unsurprisingly, was BB-8.

From the moment we saw him in the teaser back in 2014, and saw him roll on stage at Celebration in April, BB-8 stole our hearts. He became the hottest toy of the year, and disappeared from the shelves quicker than Obi-Wan. And he's even more irresistible in the movie. If you have kids, you will have no question of what they want for Christmas this year.

All the new characters were great. Although some I wish I could have seen more of. Just like how I wish I could have seen more of Darth Maul and Boba Fett in the first six films. All the new characters are wonderful. But let's be honest. It's the classic characters, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Princess -- I mean, General Leia, that we were excited to see. And seeing them again felt like seeing old friends.

Harrison Ford not only gives his best performance in years. He gives the best performance as Han Solo out of all the movies. He IS Han Solo! Ford hasn't lost an inch of the charm and swag that makes us love Han Solo. But he's not playing the same Han Solo form the Original Trilogy. He's playing a Han Solo who has lived thirty years after the Original Trilogy. He has had years of experience. He has even changed some of his views and beliefs. The same Han Solo who said "I've flown from one side of the galaxy to the other, and I've never seen anything to make me believe that there's an all powerful force controlling everything." now says without a doubt in his mind "It's true. All of it. The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real." Han is now a believer in the Force, just like Harrison Ford is now a believer in Star Wars. Seeing Harrison Ford enthusiastic in interviews during press releases for this movie has warmed so many fans' hearts, given his past sourness to the Han Solo character.

Carrie Fisher gives a moving, emotional performance as General Leia, who is older, more weary and defeated than she was in the Original Trilogy. She's not as feisty as she was in the Original Trilogy, but she is just as tough and just as warm. And her chemistry with Harrison Ford hasn't lost a beat.

And C-3PO is still the same paranoid protocol droid we all know and love. Chewbacca has some of the funniest scenes in the movie. His interactions with John Boyega being a highlight. There is a lot of humor in this movie. Just like how a lot of the comedy from the Original Trilogy came from the interactions between the cast, so does this film. But it also is from little moments that recall the Original Trilogy. The humor is funny enough for both kids and adults. In fact, adults may laugh more than their kids. At my screening, the audience was roaring with laughter. In fact, there may be more funny moments here than in most comedies of this year.

The action scenes were spectacular. JJ Abrams is a professional when it comes to directing action.The cinematography felt exactly like the dogfights in the Original Trilogy. And the fact that used real explosions made it seem more exciting and thrilling. And the lightsaber battle, without giving too much away, felt so gritty and realistic. It felt just like the lightsaber fights of the Original Trilogy.

The music by John Williams is exactly as you'd expect. It's whimsical, powerful, emotional, sweeping, etc. It recalls themes from the earlier films, but also gives us something new. Aside from George Lucas, John Williams is arguably the MVP of the Star Wars Saga. Without his music, the films would not be half of what they are. When they first announced this movie, one of the first thoughts I had was "I hope John Williams comes back". And after seeing this movie, one of my firs thoughts is "I hope they keep John Williams for as long as possible."

The film, though amazing, is not without its flaws. Sometimes it does feel to similar to the Original Trilogy. And anyone who has seen the film millions of times (like I have) will notice them. The third act especially. I won't spoil anything, but if you've seen A New Hope, you can almost guess what happens. But for the most part, the callbacks to the Original Trilogy will leave a smile on your face and may even make you laugh from nostalgia,  like the audience at my theater.

I could talk about this film for hours. But because it just came out, and there are still millions who have yet to see it, I want to be a gentlemen and not ruin the fun for them. I will give a spoiler-filled blog entry in January, a month after it's been released. JJ Abrams is a man who loves to surprise his audience. He was inspired by how the Original Trilogy had so much mystery to it. When you first saw Star Wars, you may have wondered "Who were the Jedi? Who is Obi-Wan Kenobi? Where did Darth Vader come from?" These questions made the film even more intriguing and more fun to watch. And when you watched it multiple more times, you notice things you never noticed before. And the same applies to this film. Even if it does feel similar to A New Hope, there are still tons of surprises you won't be prepared for.

Overall, this film lived up to all my expectations. It had humor, action, adventure, and heart. Were there flaws? Sure. Could some things have been done just a little bit better? Absolutely. But when you think about it, even the Original Trilogy as beloved as it is, had flaws of its own. We just did' notice them because we were so young when we watched them. But since most of us are adults now, it's easier for us to notice the flaws in The Force Awakens. But just like how the Original Trilogy was great in spite of its flaws, so is The Force Awakens. For fans who grew up with the Original Trilogy and were disappointed by the Prequels, you will be more than pleased with The Force Awakens. You may even cry.

For me, someone who grew up with all six films, this not only gave me closure to questions I had for ten years, but it also gave me more questions. It go my heart pounding hearing the John Williams theme again. It got the hair on the back of my neck standing up. It brought tears of joy down form my eyes, and a smile on my face. It brought me back to being ten years old again. As it will for any adult who sees this.

And as for that little kid who watches this film for the first time, it will be an experience they will never forget. Just like how JJ Abrams was inspired by Star Wars when he was a kid, and how George Lucas was inspired by Flash Gordon when he was a kid, so will that kid who sees this film for the firs time. It will open their eyes to the possibilities. It will change their whole world and inspire them to dream.

Who knows? When they become an adult, they may even be inspired to make their own homage to Star Wars.

No matter what age you are when you see this, no matter what generation you come from, we can all agree on one thing.

The Force has been awakened. And can all feel it.